We've got a great competition prize on offer here from our friends at For Goodness Shakes (www.forgoodnessshakes.com).
The winner will receive a year's supply of NECTAR Fuel and For Goodness Shakes - plus EVERYONE who enters will also get a free sample of NECTAR Fuel (www.nectarfuel.com).
QUESTION:
NECTAR Fuel concentrate contains how many electrolyte ions: 3, 4 or 5?
(Hint - check out the NECTAR Fuel website!)
HOW TO ENTER:
Please email your answer along with your name, address, postcode, email address, date of birth, your next event, date of next event to competitions@tri247.com.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
One sample per household, over 14 years of age, by entry you agree to receive follow-up communications from MyGoodness Ltd, UK only. No cash alternative, competition open to UK residents only.
CLOSING DATE:
The competition will run until Wednesday 26th October 2012.
Win a year's supply of NECTAR Fuel and For Goodness Shakes
↧
↧
Rewimol Complete launched in the UK
A new nutritional / dietary supplement originating from Germany has recently been released in the UK: Rewimol Complete (www.rewimol.co.uk).
In the week of the 2012 Ironman World Championships it's quite appropriate that the primary ambassadors of the brand are two of the favourites for the Ironman World Championship; Andreas and Michael Raelert.
Not an energy / hydration type product, Rewimol is "a dietary supplement to help support, protect and regenerate your immune system", and it is supplied in sachet format (to be dissolved in water), each box containing 15 sachets (one per day is the daily serving). Prices start at £18 / box (of 15) - with discounts available for multiple orders. Thus, broadly speaking you are looking at approx £1 per day if you were using on a long term basis.
Each sachet dissolves easily in 150-200ml of water to be taken with or after meals. It comes in one flavour only 'Orange-Grapefruit', we've been trying it out for the past week and can confirm - unlike a few sports drinks we've tried - it does indeed taste as described, and is quite pleasant and refreshing too. Here are the full details from Rewimol.
Fit and healthy with REWIMOL Complete!
Rewimol Complete is a specially formulated dietary supplement to help provide the body with essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements which in turn can help support, protect and regenerate your immune system. Staying fit and healthy is a vital component in any athletes training and working regime. Consistency is one of the key elements in performance improvement, no one enjoys missing a day or weeks training due to health related issues. Launched in Germany in 2010, Rewimol Complete is being used successfully by many leading triathletes, athletes, runners and football players including Ironman 70.3 World Champion Michael Raelert and his brother Andreas.
The consequences of lacking vital intake of essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements can be quite varied - here is a selection:
Increased incidence of colds (infections)
Fatigue, decreased energy levels
Poor concentration, reduced tolerance to stress
Problems with skin, hair and nails
Used as a dietary supplement alongside a good healthy diet Rewimol Complete can help but not totally replace any nutrient deficiencies. It can also help balance and/or prevent a nutrient deficiency or an increased requirement over a specified period of time. Each serving contains a balanced combination of very high quality vitamins, minerals, trace elements, natural phytochemicals (e.g. carotenoids, bioflavonoids), L-carnitine, creatine, and coenzyme Q10.
Although we maybe fit and healthy, our body still needs a multitude of vital nutrients on a daily basis.
Theoretically it is possible to supply the body with all the necessary vitamins and minerals that we need in sufficient amounts through a healthy and well balanced diet. In reality and quite often due to a busy and active lifestyle and regular consumption of fast or convenience foods, many people do not always succeed in achieving the daily-recommended allowances of vitamin, mineral and trace element intake. Rewimol Complete was developed to help solve this problem; a dietary supplement intended to supplement the daily (preferably healthy) diet. It helps to ensure we supply our body with all the essential vitamins and nutrients, an important prerequisite in helping us stay fit and healthy.
Each daily serving of Rewimol Complete (1 x 15g sachet) contains a balanced blend of 28 essential vitamins, minerals, trace elements and other important nutrients. Rewimol Complete is a quality product manufactured to the highest pharmaceutical standards in Germany using European sourced ingredients, and drug screened by the University of Cologne.
Developed in 2010 by business owner and keen amateur triathlete Slobodan Vucinic, along with leading German nutrition scientist Dr. Niels Schulz Ruhtenberg, Rewimol Complete is produced by passionate athletes for the needs of passionate athletes.
For more information and introductory offers on Rewimol Complete please visit www.rewimol.co.uk or e-mail info@rewimol.co.uk.
UK Trade enquiries - for more information on stocking Rewimol Complete in your store please e-mail info@rewimol.co.uk and we will be pleased to help.
↧
Chrissie Wellington nominated for 'SBOTY'
Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington is back in the news during Kona week... but this time it's for her book, not her racing. That said, she's still in the running for another award.
'A Life Without Limits: A World Champion's Journey' which I reviewed in March, has been announced as one of 14 books on the 'longlist' for the 2012 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award.
Triathlon actually features twice with 'Iron War' by Matt Fitzgerald (we reviewed that one HERE) also selected, along with the highly topical 'The Secret Race' by Tyler Hamilton / Daniel Coyle.
The shortlist is scheduled to be announced on 26th October. The winner will be announced at a lunchtime reception at Waterstones Piccadilly (London), Europe’s largest bookstore, on Monday 26th November - and the winner receives a £24,000 prize along with a £2,000 bet from the sponsors.
You can read the full release and longlist HERE.
↧
Chris McCormack joins Challenge Family
We sent 'our man in Kona' Richard Melik off to meet Chris McCormack on Wednesday to "an exclusive gathering... where he will be announcing exciting plans regarding his future and the sport of triathlon." Here is that news.
McCormack and the Challenge Family (www.challenge-family.com) were announcing a long-term (10 year) partnership that will see Macca not only racing in Challenge races (he is a four-time winner of Challenge Roth, winner of Challenge Cairns as well as half-distance events in Europe) but also acting as an ambassador in the development of the Challenge brand of races. If press coverage is the objective, you can't do much more than announce it at the biggest event of the Ironman brand, with the two-time Ironman World Champion - and perhaps three on Sunday? - as the centrepiece of the news.
Richard got to speak directly to Chris who confirmed that the agreement is not exclusive - he is free to race Ironman™ (or other) events - but he loves the Challenge races and plans to race two full distances each year, including the first running of Challenge Penticton next year... which of course, was for many years Ironman Canada.
Perhaps the most interesting thing here? Watch the video below and just before five minutes in reference to a 'Challenge World Championship'... that's a discussion for another day!
Challenge Family and Chris McCormack announce long-term partnership
Multiple triathlon world champion, Chris McCormack, today announced a ten-year partnership with the new defining force in triathlon, the Challenge Family.
The partnership will see McCormack acting both as an ambassador for the long distance triathlon race series and becoming an integral part of the Challenge Family development as it enters its most significant growth phase in the history of the organisation.
The family-owned Challenge series has grown from the iconic Challenge Roth, which McCormack won four times from 2004 to 2007, to feature 12 long distance races and triathlon festivals over three continents. Challenge Roth itself is now the world's largest long distance triathlon with over 5,000 competitors.
Following on from its long awaited entry into the North American market with Challenge Penticton this year, Challenge Family will look to expand its presence in Europe, North America and Australasia over the next 12 months as well as well introduce new markets to the Challenge race experience. The partnership with McCormack will play a key role in this development as Macca the athlete and Macca the brand become integrally linked with Challenge to deliver a new standard in long-distance triathlon.
The partnership was born out of a mutual desire to deliver a powerful legacy for the sport that returned the focus to the athletes, delivering a premium race experience at every level with a commitment to building the sport from the grass roots up as well as establishing sustainable relationships at the pro athlete level.
“I'm excited about this next phase in my career,” said McCormack. “I love what Challenge do, I love their DNA and core values which exactly echo my hopes for the future of the sport. My vision is to grow Challenge and the Macca brand inline with the things we hold valuable in this sport. Embracing its history, the lifestyle and the people who participate, family involvement and activity, health and the desire to play and have fun in multisport. I intend to hold true to our focus on quality and persistence and staying true to our vision.”
Challenge Family CEO, Felix Walchshöfer, said he was delighted both personally and professionally to build on a partnership with McCormack that started 10 years ago at Challenge Roth. “Macca first raced with us in Roth in that unforgettable year (2003) that saw him racing to the wire with Lothar Leder. He didn't win that race but he came back and won the next four! During that time I got to know him, not just as an incredible athlete but also as an outstanding ambassador for our sport. To have him as a true member of the Challenge Family, doing so many of our races and helping the brand grow in new and emerging markets is a massive step forward for the Challenge Family as a whole.
“Challenge Family races are renowned for their unique races experiences and strong support of the athletes, whether a pro or first time age grouper. We invest literally and emotionally in being an integral part of the athletes' journey, from the time they make the decision to race with us to the time we personally welcome them across the finish line. With his unrivalled passion and dedication to the sport, Macca will add a new dimension to this journey for all Challenge athletes and we very much look forward to having him as part of the team.”
As well as racing at a number of Challenge Family events, McCormack will also play a high profile role through Challenge Family's social media channels providing Challenge athletes with the opportunity to communicate with him directly, learning race specific tips, training advice and tricks of the trade from the best. He will also sit on two key Challenge advisory boards dedicated to ensuring a premium athlete race experience as well as take part in events with meet-and-greet at the expos and welcoming athletes across the finish line.
Further details of this milestone partnership will be released over the next few months, including McCormack's race schedule.
For further information visit www.challenge-family.com or www.chrismccormack.com.
↧
Inside Endurance: The Brownlees
A couple of weeks ago we brought you news of a documentary broadcast, Inside Endurance: The Brownlees.
If you missed the Channel 4 showing at the end of September, here is you chance to watch the full edition at your leisure.
It features interviews with the brothers and their support team, including coach Jack Maitland, physiotherapist Emma Deakin and their father Dr Keith Brownlee as they talk about their motivation, training patterns, and how they prepare for each race.
The documentary was produced by the Konwiser Brothers in association with Gatorade – the Official Nutrition Partner of the Brownlees.
↧
↧
Pro Men: how to win in Kona...
...and the FIVE men that can WIN in 2012
Tri247 Editor John Levison puts the crystal ball predictions on hold to see if a statistical approach can help pick an Ironman World Championship 2012 winner. He thinks it can...
(You can check out the ladies Kona 2012 analysis HERE)
"The three best stretches", "the five steps to a faster bike split", "the seven ways to improve your running"...etc.
Magazines, websites, books - they (we...) all do it. It grabs the attention, it provides a focus, it 'seems' as if any particular topic can be summarised in a bullet point of any particular number the author chooses. It also provides, to the unaware at least, a sense of certainty as if putting a number on a topic it makes it "true". Of course, it rarely if ever does!
And yet, in one sense at least that's what I've done/am doing here - except, I can promise that the 'five' in the title was the very last word I wrote. Only when I got to the very end of this analysis could I come up with a number I was happy with. Let me explain.
In a little under two weeks, Saturday 13th October to be precise, the 2012 Ironman World Championships in Kona will be run and won. That means of course that the triathlon world - athletes, media, fans, coaches - will start the annual prediction-fest for the Kona podium. Who is in form? Who's got the experience? Will Macca's Olympic dream be an asset or liability? Is Crowie too old? Is Michael Raelert too young? And on, and on. And, that's great. It's fun, and it's not an insignificant part of what I've done myself on Tri247 over the last five or more years. And I'm sure I'll be doing more before Kona too!
Every year I hear that it's 'the strongest field ever' or 'the most open race' or 'difficult to predict, any one of 15 or so could win'. But... I think that's rubbish.
I wanted to see if there was anything from history that would be a great pointer towards forecasting the Kona future, to try and take (mostly at least), opinions out of the equation and use what I suppose scientists might call, an 'evidence based approach'. At least, I think that's what they might call it - but it's been a fair few years since I collected my Chemistry and Physics A-Levels, so I could be mistaken...
How many, and who of the men's start list for Kona 2012 can WIN the Ironman World Championship this year?
That word 'WIN' is very important here. For this analysis, I'm not assessing who can be competitive, or who can impact the race, or who could make the podium - it's solely focussed on identifying the potential winners. Ignoring the "past performance cannot be used to predict future performance" warnings of an investment commercial, I'm going to try just that.
Ironman World Champions (Men) - Last 25 Years
Year
Winner
Previous Best Result
2011
Craig Alexander (AUS)
Winner
2010
Chris McCormack (AUS)
Winner
2009
Craig Alexander (AUS)
Winner
2008
Craig Alexander (AUS)
2nd (2007)
2007
Chris McCormack (AUS)
2nd (2006)
2006
Normann Stadler (GER)
Winner
2005
Faris Al-Sultan (GER)
3rd (2004)
2004
Normann Stadler (GER)
3rd (2000)
2003
Peter Reid (CAN)
Winner
2002
Tim DeBoom (USA)
Winner
2001
Tim DeBoom (USA)
2nd (2000)
2000
Peter Reid (CAN)
Winner
1999
Luc Van Lierde (BEL)
Winner
1998
Peter Reid (CAN)
4th (1997 & 1996)
1997
Thomas Hellriegel (GER)
2nd (1996 & 1995)
1996
Luc Van Lierde (BEL)
DEBUT
1995
Mark Allen (USA)
Winner
1994
Greg Welch (AUS)
2nd (1991)
1993
Mark Allen (USA)
Winner
1992
Mark Allen (USA)
Winner
1991
Mark Allen (USA)
Winner
1990
Mark Allen (USA)
Winner
1989
Mark Allen (USA)
2nd (1987 & 1986)
1988
Scott Molina (USA)
4th (1982)
1987
Dave Scott (USA)
Winner
Ok, so presented above is a table showing the winners of the Ironman World Championship over the past 25 editions. What is also shown is what their previous best Kona result was, prior to winning that year, along with the year that they achieved it. For example, when Craig Alexander won his first title in 2008, his previous best performance was second. When he won in 2009 and 2011 his previous best was, of course, winner. But what does all of this tell us?
Over the past 25 years only 12 men have won an Ironman World Championship.
Of those 12, seven won the title at least twice in that period (and Dave Scott won five titles prior to his final win in 1987 too), so effectively, eight multiple winners out of 12 (66%).
In 25 years, only one athlete (Luc Van Lierde, 1996) has won on their debut in Kona.
Excluding that Van Lierde debut win, in 25 years no man has won Kona who hasn't finished at least fourth previously.
Of the champions that hadn't previously won (and excluding the Van Lierde debut), six had previously finished second, two third placed and two fourth places.
14 of the 25 years (56%) reviewed were won by previous or defending champions.
Of the 10 first time winners (excluding the Van Lierde debut), 60% secured their best previous result the year immediately prior to that first win.
To add to that, only once in the last 17 years has a first time winner not had their best ever result the year immediately prior to their first victory.
96% of Kona winners in the last 25 years had previously finished fourth or better.
88% of Kona winners in the last 25 years had previously made a Kona podium (top three).
It is 14 years since an athlete won Kona who hadn't previously finished in the top three - and Peter Reid proved to be rather special, winning the race three times.
Want to win Kona? Then this is solid advice:
You need to be exceptional - not many men win an Ironman World Championship.
Ideally, make sure you've already won it before!
Ensure you have finished at least fourth before, but more realistically that you are a previous podium finisher (second/third).
Once you've done well and got that podium, win it for the first time the following year if you possibly can - the window of (winning) opportunity is small.
Possibly - but unlikely - make an exceptional debut. (Luc Van Lierde broke the Kona course record in 1996).
Applying this to 2012?
Previous winners
There are three previous Kona Champions starting this year: three-time and defending champion Craig Alexander. Two-time champion and 2010 winner Chris McCormack. 2005 winner Faris Al-Sultan who was 11th / 10th / 10th / 10th (2008-2011) inclusive has solid Kona form, but it's not Kona winning form. That, combined with a seven year gap between wins means that I'm ruling out Faris as a potential 2012 winner.
Alexander looks as good as ever, McCormack returned from Olympic distance racing and promptly won the ITU World Long Distance Champs and the pair have shared the last five Kona wins - Crowie and Macca can certainly win in 2012. That's two then.
Previous performers
Ok, so let's say you've raced before but haven't won - who has finished fourth or better, and starts this year?
Pete Jacobs
2nd, 2011
Dirk Bockel
4th, 2011
Andreas Raelert
2nd, 2010
Marino Vanhoenacker
3rd, 2010
Eneko Llanos
2nd, 2008
Ronnie Schildknecht
4th, 2008
Cameron Brown
2nd, 2005
Pete Jacobs: 8:30, 8:23 and 8:09 over the past three seasons, second last year and a demon runner. Yes, Jacobs is a real contender and fits the statistical criteria above.
Dirk Bockel: 7th (2:57 marathon), 8th (2:52), 4th (2:53) over the last three seasons is very strong Kona form - but will Kona 2012 be won with a 2:5X run split? I believe Dirk will need to resolve that to win. Combined with the 14 years since a male with a previous best of fourth won, I'm not putting him in winning contention. Yet. However, a step (or two) up in 2012 would change that for 2013.
Andreas Raelert. 3rd/2nd/3rd over three seasons, with 2011 achieved despite an awful race program which left him forced to 'validate' late in the year at Regensburg after a world record setting Challenge Roth. No question at all, Raelert could win - and has a much improved 2012 schedule to help him.
Marino Vanhoenacker. Less than a minute behind Andreas in 2010, DNF in 2011. After six consecutive wins and an Ironman record at Ironman Austria, Marino took a different direction this summer and headed to Frankfurt to take on the best of the German's on their home patch. And won, leaving Sebastian Kienle and Andreas Raelert behind. I think the key to his Kona success might be the race he didn't do. The cancellation of Ironman New Zealand and the 70.3 held in its place might prove to be the key to keeping 'Bink' fresh and firing in Hawaii. Potential winner? I'll say yes.
Eneko Llanos. 5th in 2006, 7th in 2007, 2nd in 2008 - has the Llanos 'window of opportunity' slipped by on the big island? Still a class act, winner of both Ironman Texas and Arizona in 2011, alongside fourth in a stacked Melbourne field this year, Llanos is a threat, but four years since his Kona best - on this analysis - suggests his winning chances are slim.
Ronnie Schildknecht. The master of Ironman Switzerland, but a previous best of fourth combined with a four year gap since that result suggests that Ronnie will need a podium finish first in 2012 before stepping up again next year if he is to be an Ironman World Champion.
Cameron Brown. Unbeatable at (a full length) Ironman New Zealand, the 40 year old is as fast as ever. Seven years since his Kona best though means that he doesn't fit this model, despite the close second to Crowie in Melbourne.
Potential winners here then: Pete Jacobs, Andreas Raelert, Marino Vanhoenacker.
Debut sensations?
Can anyone do a 'Luc Van Lierde 1996' and rock up and take away the win at their first attempt? Are there any contenders? Here, arguably, are the top three debutants:
Jordan Rapp. An ITU Long Distance Champion, five time Ironman Champion and a combination of ex-rower work ethic combined with an engineer's precision make Rapp a real talent wherever he races. I think he'll race very well, and very smartly - and nobody will leave the island with more notes, thoughts, analysis and plans for future Kona campaigns - but it won't be as an Ironman World Champion. This year at least.
Michael Raelert. Twice 70.3 World Champion, the younger brother of Andreas was due to debut last year before injury curtailed that plan. He finished second in his first full distance event at Ironman Regensburg this season and has great talent, combined with the knowledge and experience of brother Andreas. I'm pretty sure he will win Kona. One day, but not this year.
Sebastian Kienle. The only thing surprising about Kienle's victory at the 70.3 World Champs in Vegas was that there were some who still considered him to be unknown or 'under the radar'! Without question, the best cyclist in the sport, he proved in Vegas that he can bike like a bullet, handle the heat and run strong too. He'll likely have fingers crossed for an incredibly windy and tough day on the bike - the like of which we haven't witnessed for several years. He's raced four iron-distance races, gone under eight hours twice - but so far only has three second places and a sixth to show for it. A non-wetsuit swim won't play into his hands either (on average he has lost around 4:30 in the water to his main competition in his (wetsuit) iron races to date), and given the rarity of a Kona debut win, is making him a potential winner realistic? Statistically at least, no. But I can't wait to watch him!
And then there were five...
So, to answer the question I started with - using a statistical approach - there are five potential 2012 Ironman World Championship winners, and here they are:
Craig Alexander
Chris McCormack
Pete Jacobs
Andreas Raelert
Marino Vanhoenacker
We'll find out on 13th October whether that proves to be the case....
Crowie, Macca, PJ, Andi or Bink - who's your money on?
↧
Kona 2012: #GBKONA Diary
The 2012 Ironman World Championships are just days away now. We've been updating our exceptionally popular GB and Ireland entrants listing all week with Twitter and web links, and have just added a few more, so if you want to find out more about the athletes involved, do take a look at this great resource. Planning to watch it live? If so, take a look at our 'how to' guide which will answer many of the questions we get asked every year - with UK timings to make it easier for you.
Many of those athletes have been in touch with us with updates from their Kona experiences so far, here is today's Kona Diary.
If you are in Kona and want to update us on your progress, send us through an email to editor@tri247.com.
Nick Rose
For us we have just arrived, great feeling to be on the island once more, excitement for the whole family but our daughter being 3 1/2 years old now makes a big difference to the experience as a family holiday this year. Looking forward to catching up with friends at the pier.
Kestutis Aleknavicius (10th time in Kona)
My week in Kona has been super eventful. Firstly my wife could not travel so I came out alone. This is #10 here for me and we both wanted to celebrate here together. Face-time has been a saviour.
On Sunday I was running to the Energy Lab with a bunch of Aussie mates and coming up the road was a runner with a mountain bike supporter, the runner said good luck guys, we in unison said good luck Crowie. When does the a World Champ ever do that in any other sport? I was riding on the Queen K yesterday and Rachel Joyce pulled along side for a moment. She looks lean...
Last swim today,Thursday, then feet up!
Henry Eaton
Thank you for your best wishes, feeling ready to race and do GB proud! I ended up swimming next to Crowie at the Kailua pool yesterday; he was flying and I felt very slow. Lots of press around, I think it was my speedos though that got the most attention!
Roger Canham
It's now Wednesday and there's a real buzz in the air. Nearly all the competitors are in town now and everywhere you turn there's carbon and lycra. Registration opened yesterday and after the initial mêlée of type ‘A' individuals needing to be first in line, things eased off as the volunteers moved athletes through smoothly. Many people come to Kona year after year simply to volunteer and be part of the Big Dance, the consequence of which is that this has to be one of the most experienced crews on the M-dot circuit.
I swam the course for the final time yesterday morning sans dolphins and whilst the swell was up. There were relatively few athletes on the course as we had set off at 6:30 am so it was a relaxed swim finding some nice rhythm. By the time we exited at DigMe beach those going out were shoulder-to-shoulder and it wasn't even race day! It becomes a massive schwag fest by the pier as manufacturers compete to hand out branded swim caps and the like and once again, those high net worth Kona athletes compete fiercely for a $2 hat. It's definitely not the taking part that matters.
The sun was up by lunchtime so I took the opportunity to have my last proper run to help acclimatise and loosen off the legs. I had run for 90 minutes on Sunday and whilst the pace was fine, my legs felt heavy as I struggled to hit my normal high cadence. I passed Lava Java on Alii Drive then hit race pace out to the turnaround, the ks passed by, bang on pace and with some spring in the legs at last. I certainly wasn't skipping along but I am happy now that come race day the legs will be in top shape and ready to unload out of T2.
The parade of nations took part later in the afternoon, its great fun and gives you the chance to catch up with the other GB athletes. I am always amazed at how few GB athletes do in fact come along; there must have been no more than half our number. Chrissie was in the car at the front and as a consequence we probably received way more press attention than we deserved. All done, more schwag at the expo, which opens at the end of the parade, then off to the Canoe Club for supper.
Today was the usual routine, a brief swim, principally out to the Coffees Of Hawaii boat for a deep water espresso, back in to shore and off to the Active Release Therapy (ART) marquee for a massage. All straightened out we met up at Splashers for the usual veggie omelette and banter whilst watching the bun fight at the pier.
My last session of the week was to do a couple of race pace efforts on the bike to finally tune up the legs for the race. Off up the Queen K then turn on the power to see what comes and how it feels – the numbers were promising. It seems to take at least a week for the jet lag to wear off and to start to feel fresher. This, coupled with coming off a final big block of training, makes the content of the taper a bit of a tightrope. Freshen up for the race, keep reminding your body what it needs to do, acclimatise for the conditions and normalise the body clock. You never really know until race day if you have done it well, so, let's see!
↧
Weekend preview: October 13-14
Hear that? That curious fading echo? That's the sound of the 2012 triathlon season rapidly dwindling away to a mere memory. Alternatively it might be the sound of someone dipping their toe into the chill water of a lake in North Wales for the Snowman - now there's an event to marvel at! While the rest of us have our brains focussed on the sun-baked, wind-blasted, high humidity environment of Hawaii's Kailua Kona coastline for the World Ironman Championships a small band of hardy folk will be tackling a boiled-down version in North Wales.
Let's contrast for a moment: 3,800 metres of wetsuit-free swimming in the lukewarm Pacific waters (floating coffee and gel-serving boat optional) versus 750 metres of neoprene-clad immersion in the clear, cool, fresh water of Llyn Mymbyr. Check! 180 kilometres of riding on the undulating Queen K Highway through the stunning lava fields on an out-and-back to Hawi (cool-down pools provided) with the fickle winds that often seem to blow against you in both directions versus 31k of hills round the Snowdon area (stunning views also available if weather is clear). Check! 42.2 kilometres of running on some of the most iconic coastal highway roads in the world plus a visit to the world-famous Energy Lab versus an 8k mountain trail run to the summit of Moel Siabod and back with the mandatory requirement to carry full windproofs and to use the stiles rather than hop fences or gates. Check!
If Saturday night and (well) into Sunday is set aside for Ironman viewing, you'll need our 'how to' guide to save you from time zone confusion, and if you are tracking the UK and Ireland athletes, here is their listing including categories and race numbers.. #GBKONA!
We've reviewed the likely winners of the men's race and ladies race (statistically!) already, but what about our predictions on the 1/2/3? Well, everyone else has... Ok, we'll go with Craig Alexander, Marino Vanhoenacker and Chris McCormack. For the ladies, Caroline Steffen, Mirinda Carfrae and Rachel Joyce.
With the ITU's season finale in Auckland next weekend there's little international action on offer apart from the Hawaii Ironman although TriStar do have a 111 in Madrid and another in Rio de Janeiro - the Madrid event will be started by Arnold Schwarzenegger of all people!
Two other triathlons are listed in the UK, the Hale Barns in Altrincham and the Herts Charity Challenge in St Albans. The rest of the calendar is dominated by duathlons with the Autumn Fast & Furious at Eynsford in Kent and the Hartside Duathlon in Cumbria being on-road while the Mud & Mayhem with a supporting 10k trail run at Delapre Abbey, Northampton and the RunRider at Ashton Court in Bristol being of the mud-spattered variety.
The Scots are holding their National Aquathlon Championships at Stirling University and there's another aquathlon at the Burnham on Sea pool.
We generally leave the running events to our sister site, Run247, but the Run Kingston Challenge - the Autumn version of the Whole Foods Kingston Breakfast Run organised by Human Race - always seems to be packed with triathletes. This year they have added a 24-mile (3 loops) option which can be done solo or as a relay. Almost back to the old format where there were full and half marathon options...
FULL WEEKEND RACE LISTINGS
↧
Kona 2012: #GBKONA Diary #2
'Our man in Kona' Richard Melik from freespeed.co.uk checks back in from the Ironman World Championships. After visiting Chris McCormack earlier this week, what's been going on in Hawaii today?
Today was mostly about the Press Conference, but before that at the morning swim I bumped into the Raelert Brothers and both are looking forward to the race. Michael has been suffering from a sore throat and cold for a few days but felt that today he was returning to normal so is hopeful things are ok for Saturday.
Then there was the Underpants Run with a good GB turnout. Seems to get bigger and crazier every year...
The Press Conference was up next. Present were: Craig Alexander, Pete Jacobs, Andreas Raelert, Jordan Rapp, Seb Kienle. Mirinda Carfrae, Caroline Steffen, Leanda Cave, Rachel Joyce and Kelly Williamson.
Crowie seemed to be on edge and made some sideways comments about Macca, without actually naming him, saying that it is possible to win here without resorting to mind games and recruiting other athletes' help. He also said he was disappointed not to be racing Lance and felt that he hadn't seen any conclusive black and white evidence to ban him, but understood the WTC stance.
Pete Jacobs said that in the past he was stoked to podium but this year he wants the win and is hoping to be in a position off the bike to run with Crowie and the Raelerts rather than chasing them down.
Andreas was asked if he lacked the killer instinct to win Kona and he suggested that to podium three times you need to have a hard edge and tough mental attitude. Crowie chipped in and reiterated that it is possible to win whilst also being friendly to your fellow athletes.
Jordan is looking forward to testing himself against the best and Seb is looking forward to the same but also knows that he won't be able to repeat the same strategy that he had in Vegas as he won't be able to run off that level of bike at this distance.
Mirinda confirmed that she has been working hard on her bike this year and learning to ride with power. By her standards she has had an average season she acknowledged, but still believes she has the Kona know how to win.
Caroline Steffen is comfortable with her status as favourite and is drawing a lot of confidence from her great results this year.
Likewise, Leanda feels she is in top form and ready to win.
I had a good chat with Rachel and she is feeling much better after some heavy antibiotics so fingers crossed she'll be good for Saturday. Like Xena, she takes a lot of confidence from some breakthrough results.
All the girls were positive about the split pro start but they all felt five mins was probably not enough as the faster women will still catch the slower pro men.
I'd better get some sleep, long day tomorrow!
↧
↧
A doping 'confession'...
In the spirit of the week's announcements from George Hincapie, Michael Barry and others like Christian van de Velde, I feel it only fair to make a statement myself and to come 'clean' on the subject of doping.
Triathlon has been a part of my life for, well, more than half of it, and throughout that time I've tried to be the best I can be; you know, working hard and striving to be 'towards the front of the mid-packers' / slightly above average / 'pretty good for a club athlete'. Hell, I've even had dreams of winning a race (provided I can find one small enough which few people have heard of yet). Tough tasks which have taken dedication, the use of plenty of annual leave to have some of the best laughs ever on training camps and, mostly, the ability to not get wasted every Friday night because Saturday morning usually begins with a swim session... and it's hard enough already without adding a hangover to the mix.
That has taken serious sacrifices. At times I've had to give up watching “Location, Location, Location” of an evening so I could make it to the pool. I remember times when I've gone outside in the rain wearing tights and running shoes rather than wellies and an umbrella. There have even been times (not many, I grant you...) when I've said “no” to a second coffee at the café stop , as we really do need to fit in another 20km on the bike because that Ironman is getting closer…yes, that's true commitment.
But I'll admit, the temptations have been there, I could have been drawn to the dark side. The prospect of winning a free water bottle, six gels and a plastic trophy to add to the cupboard full I've got already (gels and bottles, not trophies) was a big one.
And so, I'll admit it. I gave in to the pressure and I took… some High5 Energy Source and a ZipVit energy bar. Was that wrong? Perhaps I should have use Torq and SiS?
I hope you can forgive me… but I'm afraid my desire to see how far I could go just wasn't, and isn't, great enough to start injecting crap into my body. Tough to admit I know, but I'm afraid my need for dope free competition is infinitely greater than my desire to win. A shocking admission, but it's true – I really don't want to win that much (!) - and while I'm prepared to go the extra couple of hundred metres, the ‘extra mile' is out of the question! ‘Fast enough' is ok for me, winning isn't everything. At least, I don't think it is – not having won I wouldn't know.
Sorry to say, but a 2:53 marathon is as good as it's going to get… but I'm proud of it, even if the wider world couldn't care and I won't be featuring on any all-time lists. I'll always know – because the race had course measurement certification (it wasn't in a triathlon after all…), that on at least one day in my life, I ran a half marathon below six minute mile pace. Only just (it was 5:58.4)… but that's still ‘Sub-6' in my book. I even finished third and got a trophy!
Perhaps in time you'll forgive me. I am, after all, a cancer survivor and I've raised a fair amount for charity too.
But the truth must come out, and so today I admit it publically – I haven't taken performance enhancing drugs!
If that means that my race results can't be removed from record then so be it. If that means I can't pretend I didn't come almost last in my first ever duathlon all those years ago, I'll accept it. And yes, my wife did beat me in the last triathlon I did at Emberton Park. I'm not too proud to admit it, it's true. (The fact that she - a 'swimmer' - ran past me does hurt my ego though, I can't deny that!!).
If you doubt I'm telling the truth, just check out my race results - they prove I wasn't doping...
↧
GE Great Britain Age-Group Team ready for Auckland
A GE Great Britain Age-Group Team of over 450 athletes will race in New Zealand from 17 to 22 October 2012 as they look to continue triathlon’s memorable season at the Barfoot & Thompson World Triathlon Grand Final in Auckland.
The standard distance race will feature 239 British athletes who will embark on a one-lap 1,500m swim in Queens Wharf before completing a 40km bike course and final 10km run comprising of two 5km laps. The GE Great Britain Age-Group Team has three returning medallists from Beijing including Kim Shaw (55-59) and Michael Skivington (55-59) who both won bronze, and Kate Robson as the sole defending champion in the 30-34 category.
Team Manager for the standard distance event is British Triathlon Director for Age-Group Teams, Malcolm Westwood, who comments: “New Zealand is a long way from home, but we will once again have a strong GE Great Britain Age-Group Team racing. Each of the athletes have demonstrated their abilities through the qualification process and I hope they will replicate that form in what will be a very competitive race with big teams from both Australia and hosts New Zealand.”
In the sprint distance races, 216 athletes will be racing through a one-lap 750m sea swim, 20km bike and 5km run. As with the standard distance race, there are a small number of returning medallists from the 2011 ITU Age-Group Triathlon World Championships: Keith Mahon (50-54) and Joanna Lewis (55-59) who both won bronze.
Michael Griffin is the Team Manager for the sprint distance race and is also looking forward to getting the action underway: “The course in New Zealand looks fantastic and with a sea swim will provide a real challenge for our athletes. However, the GE Great Britain Age-group Team always deliver and this year I expect to see many medal-winning performances from our British triathletes.”
There is also a large GE Great Britain Age-Group Team comprising 216 athletes competing in the ITU Aquathlon World Championships on 17 October. Athletes will complete a 1km swim followed by a 5km run.
The elite senior events at the Barfoot & Thompson World Triathlon Grand Final Auckland will be televised live on the BBC Red Button overnight and a packaged highlights programme will be shown on BBC2 on Sunday afternoon, 21 October.
↧
How to watch the Ironman World Champs
It's the second Saturday in October and you are a triathlon fan. Of course, you'll be spending Saturday night and well in to Sunday morning in front a PC or laptop. Won't you?!
The 2012 Ironman World Championship, as in previous years, will be available - free of charge - to follow via live video, text and online timing/tracker updates. Many of you, we know, will be aware with of much of this already - but equally we suspect that there are an awful lot of triathletes out there that aren't aware or familiar that they can follow triathlon's annual 'big dance' in Hawaii from the comfort of their office, sofa or indeed by taking the laptop / tablet to bed. Best check with the 'other half' first on that one.
So, here is our Guide to following the 2012 Ironman World Championship. We have also put together - with UK timings to make it easy for many of our readers - a schedule of key race events to provide approximate times of some of the key moments during the coverage. You can now plan your viewing around important things like dinner or a few pints at the local... but still know what time to get back to see the marathon start!
Live TV Coverage:
Live (internet-based) TV coverage of the 2012 Ironman World Championship will be available for Universal Sports and Ironman Live on these links. As well as the video feeds, Ironman typically also provides a text-based commentary, photo updates and an online race tracker (timing) which allows you to check progress of individual athletes through the course as they pass various timing check points throughout the race. Remember, if you are following / commenting on the progress of the GB & Ireland athletes via Twitter, please add hashtag #GBKONA.
Universal Sports: http://universalsports.com/triathlon.
Ironman Live: www.ironmanlive.com.
Race Timings: Saturday 13th October 2012.
Race Start (Male Pro athletes) - 6:30 a.m. local time / 5.30 p.m. UK time (Saturday evening, 13th October)
Race Start (Female Pro athletes) - 6:35 a.m. local time / 5.35 p.m. UK time (Saturday evening, 13th October)
Race Start (Age Group athletes) - 7:00 a.m. local time / 6.00 p.m. UK time (Saturday evening, 13th October)
Race Ends (Final finisher) - Midnight local time / 11.00 a.m. UK time (Sunday morning, 14th October)
Estimated Schedule of Events - ALL UK LOCAL TIMES
Event
*** ESTIMATED UK TIME ***
Date
Pro Men Swim Start
5.30pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
Pro Women Swim Start
5.35pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Pro Men reach swim turn (halfway)
5.53pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Pro Woman reaches swim turn (halfway)
5:59pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
Age Group Swim Start
6.00pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Swim Finishers (Pro Men)
6.18pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Pro Men Start Bike
6.20pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Swim Finisher (Pro Ladies)
6.25pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Pro Women Start Bike
6:27pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Swim Finisher (Age Group)
6.50pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
Swim Cutoff (Last Age Grouper)
8:20pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Pro Men at Hawi (Bike turn, circa 59 miles)
8:45pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Pro Women at Hawi (Bike turn, circa 59 miles)
9:02pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Pro Men Finish Bike
10:42pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Pro Women Finish Bike
11:13pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Pro Men Start Run
10:44pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Pro Women Start Run
11:15pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Pro Men at 'Pay & Save Hill' (Palani, 10 miles)
11:47pm
Saturday 13th (evening)
First Pro Women at 'Pay & Save Hill' (Palani, 10 miles)
12:25pm
Sunday 14th (early morning)
First Male Pro Finisher
1:30am
Sunday 14th (early morning)
First Female Pro Finisher
2:25am
Sunday 14th (early morning)
First Male Age Group Finisher
2:40am
Sunday 14th (early morning)
First Female Age Group Finisher
3:30am
Sunday 14th (early morning)
Bike Cutoff
4.30am
Sunday 14th (early morning)
Race Finishes
11.00am
Sunday 14th (early morning)
Race Links
Here are some further links which may prove useful. The start list links below provide details of an athletes race number, which can be very useful when searching for timing data in the online race tracker. All of the GB and Ireland athletes are provided in one file, by category, on the link below.
Race website: www.ironmanworldchampionship.com / Race pack: HERE.
Start Lists (All): HERE | Start Lists (British / Irish / Gibralter, by category): HERE
↧
Kona 2012: GB and Ireland entries
Saturday 13th October is the big day; the 2012 Ironman Triathlon World Championships are nearly here. "Kona", that's all you have to say, and virtually every triathlete in the world will know what you are talking about and why.
Much of that talk, of course, will revolve around the professional athletes seeking the ultimate crown of Ironman World Champion. Tri247 Editor John Levison has been busy crunching the numbers and reviewing Kona history to provide a statisitical approach to predicting a winner this week. It's well worth a read of why just FIVE MEN and FOUR WOMEN are - statistically at least - the only likely winners this year. It's also a nice little history review of the past quarter of a century!
Kona of course is much more than just the professional race. Close to 2000 of the entrants will be Age Group athletes who have qualified at other Ironman / Ironman 70.3 races over the past year with for many, a Kona slot representing the culmination of a many years of triathlon dream and thousands of hours of dedicated preparation. Just making it to the start line in Hawaii can be considered a victory.
Below is the full list of representatives - Pro / Physically Challenged / Age Group - on the start line this year from Great Britain, Gibralter and Ireland. We wish you all well, and would like to encourage athletes and followers on Twitter to use the hashtag #GBKONA in the lead up to, during and after the big race. We've also provided, where known, links to each athletes Twitter feed and/or Website. If we've missed yours and you would like to add it in, simply email us via editor@tri247.com and we'll update it for you.
Many of these athletes of course will have secured their Kona spots at either Ironman Wales 2011 or Ironman UK 2012. To see what they had to do to secure them, we have the full Kona qualification listings from both races on these links: Wales 2011 | UK 2012.
And finally...for now... Kes Aleknavicius (M55-59) tells us that 2012 will be his TENTH Kona. Can any other Brits match that?!
FEMALE PRO
BIB
NAME
DIVISION
GENDER
AGE
COUNTRY
TWITTER
WEB
103
Leanda Cave
FPRO
F
34
GBR
@leandacave
www.leandacave.com
104
Rachel Joyce
FPRO
F
34
GBR
@RJoyce09
www.racheljoyce.org
MALE PRO
BIB
NAME
DIVISION
GENDER
AGE
COUNTRY
TWITTER
WEB
49
Thomas Lowe
MPRO
M
34
GBR
@tomalowe
www.tomlowe.org
37
Paul Amey
MPRO
M
39
GBR
@paulamey
MALE PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED
BIB
NAME
DIVISION
GENDER
AGE
COUNTRY
TWITTER
WEB
150
Joseph Townsend
MPC
M
24
GBR
@joetownsend1664
FEMALE AGE GROUP
BIB
NAME
DIVISION
GENDER
AGE
COUNTRY
TWITTER
WEB
2051
Simone Dailey
F18-24
F
24
GBR
2094
Sharon O'Hara
F18-24
F
24
IRL
1998
Catherine Faux
F25-29
F
25
GBR
@catherinerfaux
http://catherine-a-box.blogspot.co.uk/
1975
Anna Murawska
F25-29
F
27
GBR
@Amurawska
1967
Lauren Whitmore
F25-29
F
28
GBR
1960
Katherine Brougham
F25-29
F
29
GBR
1991
Kate Lahart
F25-29
F
25
IRL
1833
Laura Trimble
F30-34
F
30
GBR
@LauraTrimble1
www.lauratrimble.co.uk
1824
Emma Cranfield
F30-34
F
31
GBR
@emma_cranfield
1803
Rebecca Romero
F30-34
F
32
GBR
@Rebecca_Romero
www.rebeccaromero.co.uk
1784
Catherine Benger
F30-34
F
33
GBR
1529
Jill Wilkinson
F35-39
F
39
GBR
@JillWilkinson5
1531
Victoria Wilkinson
F35-39
F
39
GBR
1291
Ruth Tucker
F40-44
F
40
GBR
1270
Candice McDonald
F40-44
F
41
GBR
@Konacandy
1252
Carolyn Evans
F40-44
F
42
GBR
933
Melissa Dowell
F45-49
F
47
GBR
@melissajdowell
925
Sally Horton
F45-49
F
47
GBR
915
Gill Fullen
F45-49
F
48
GBR
630
Christina Smith
F50-54
F
52
GBR
621
Claire Donald
F50-54
F
53
GBR
458
Sarah Greaves
F55-59
F
56
GBR
MALE AGE GROUP
BIB
NAME
DIVISION
GENDER
AGE
COUNTRY
TWITTER
WEB
2034
Henry Eaton
M18-24
M
22
GBR
2023
Philip Hatzis
M18-24
M
24
GBR
@PhilipTTH
www.tritrainingharder.com
1907
Andy Sloan
M25-29
M
27
GBR
@ProcisionFit
1853
Sam Baxter
M25-29
M
29
GBR
@sbaxter220
www.teamfreespeed.com
1878
Scott Thomson
M25-29
M
29
GBR
1720
James Brown
M30-34
M
31
GBR
1731
Daniel McParland
M30-34
M
31
GBR
@danielmcp
1668
Phillip Murphy
M30-34
M
32
GBR
1715
Michael O'Brien
M30-34
M
31
IRL
@trimike30
1662
Liam Dolan
M30-34
M
32
IRL
1472
Per Cunningham
M35-39
M
36
GBR
1469
Mark Westlake
M35-39
M
36
GBR
1413
Conan Gibney
M35-39
M
37
GBR
@conangibney
1438
Dean Johnson
M35-39
M
37
GBR
1382
Charlie Low
M35-39
M
38
GBR
1331
Stuart Anderson
M35-39
M
39
GBR
@Stu_Ando
www.teamfreespeed.com
1322
Martin Goodlad
M35-39
M
39
GBR
1314
Richard Howarth
M35-39
M
39
GBR
1385
Neil Feerick
M35-39
M
38
IRL
1371
Martin Muldoon
M35-39
M
38
IRL
@MartinMuldoon1
www.martin-muldoon.blogspot.co.uk
1308
Owen Martin
M35-39
M
39
IRL
1187
David Garner
M40-44
M
40
GBR
1207
Brett Hedges
M40-44
M
40
GBR
@bretthedges
1182
Kit Stokes
M40-44
M
40
GBR
@KitStokes
1137
Peter Doubleday
M40-44
M
41
GBR
1119
Lee Kieran
M40-44
M
41
GBR
1121
Ben Lloyd
M40-44
M
41
GBR
1131
Sean Nicolle
M40-44
M
41
GBR
1125
Dominic Paul
M40-44
M
41
GBR
1153
Nick Rose
M40-44
M
41
GBR
@ironrosey
www.nickrose33.blogspot.com
1136
Andy Shaw
M40-44
M
41
GBR
1086
Paul Sherwood
M40-44
M
42
GBR
1052
Paul Carmichael
M40-44
M
43
GBR
1063
Iain Hindes
M40-44
M
43
GBR
@Devoniain
1002
Matthew Nuttall
M40-44
M
44
GBR
1198
Rob Cummins
M40-44
M
40
IRL
@wheelworx
1034
Matt Molloy
M40-44
M
43
IRL
@AhoySavaloy
www.teamfreespeed.com
995
James McLaughlin
M40-44
M
44
IRL
846
Tim Bishop
M45-49
M
45
GBR
@fasterwithage
www.teamfreespeed.com
847
Jim Graham
M45-49
M
45
GBR
844
Jeff Nagle
M45-49
M
45
GBR
@jeffredracer
855
Richard Parkinson
M45-49
M
45
GBR
785
Simon Bowler
M45-49
M
46
GBR
812
Fraser Dawson
M45-49
M
46
GBR
789
Richard Mason
M45-49
M
46
GBR
809
Mark Richardson
M45-49
M
46
GBR
759
Graham Coull
M45-49
M
47
GBR
@grahammcoull
747
Warren Mason
M45-49
M
47
GBR
746
Guy Roberts
M45-49
M
47
GBR
704
Roger Canham
M45-49
M
48
GBR
@hawc
www.rogercanham.blogspot.co.uk
695
Hugh Gibbs
M45-49
M
48
GBR
692
John Levick
M45-49
M
48
GBR
683
John French
M45-49
M
49
GBR
856
Chris Walker
M45-49
M
45
GIB
814
Alan Ryan
M45-49
M
46
IRL
594
Mark Carter
M50-54
M
50
GBR
606
Keith Eastham
M50-54
M
50
GBR
590
John Knapp
M50-54
M
50
GBR
602
Christopher Leeman
M50-54
M
50
GBR
499
Clifford Hogg
M50-54
M
53
GBR
488
Kevin Pullin
M50-54
M
54
GBR
420
Sean Bennett
M55-59
M
55
GBR
364
Kes Aleknavicius
M55-59
M
57
GBR
@fnurgas
373
John Maxted
M55-59
M
57
GBR
296
David Patten
M60-64
M
60
GBR
268
Stephen Belt
M60-64
M
62
GBR
261
Christopher Domoney
M60-64
M
63
GBR
224
Scott Balfour
M65-69
M
65
GBR
163
Peter Norman
M75-79
M
75
GBR
↧
↧
Kona 2012: Bike check-in gallery
We're getting to the business end of the week in Kona with race start, just hours away now (5.30pm UK time, Saturday 13th October).
Friday in Kona is bike check-in day, and Richard Melik (www.freespeed.co.uk) was there to capture some images for us.
CLICK THE 'LAUNCH IMAGE GALLERY' LINK ABOVE
(All pictures are ©Richard Melik / Tri247)
↧
Kona 2012: #GBKONA Diary #3
The latest update from Kona covers Friday, the day before the race, courtesy once again of Richard Melik (www.freespeed.co.uk). Short swim, coffee and checking out the pre-race faces at the bike check-in were the order of the day.
Friday in Kona - the day before the big race...
Friday is a quiet day here in Kona. The number of people down at the swim is less than on previous days, the bag drop area has gone and most athletes are happy with a quick swim to the Coffees of Hawaii boat and back, a round trip of about one kilometer.
Breakfast today was a good chance to catch up with the members of Team Freespeed Virgin Active who are all feeling good and ready to race. Fingers crossed for mechanical good luck for them and all the other British age groupers competing. On the way back past the expo we dropped into the Newton Running stand and picked up 'Rachel's Crew' t-shirts - all of the team know Rachel (Joyce) well and have trained with her over the last couple of years and are excited to see how she gets on tomorrow.
Soon after midday the entrance to transition turns into a frenzy of activity as athletes, media and spectators swarm around trying to catch a glimpse of the pros or friends who are arriving to rack their bikes. All the main contenders seemed in good spirits, some were serious, some joking and laughing. Once the gun goes off the joking will stop and one of the hardest to call races for several years will begin.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL BIKE CHECK-IN GALLERY
Most of the talk has been of a Crowie / Macca showdown, but don't count out the European stars - the Raelert Brothers, Marino Vanhoenacker, Dirk Bockel and Sebastian Kienle - as well as a third Australian, Pete Jacobs, will all be in the mix going on to the run.
On the women's side Carfrae, Steffen, Joyce and Cave are all strong contenders with Mary Beth Ellis a dark horse for a podium finish.
The forecast is for heavy winds tomorrow making the race even more intriguing to watch, but take that with a pinch of salt - I don't think they know from one hour to the next what the weather will be like on this island, it is so changeable.
The final touches are being made to the finishing chute, it gets bigger and better every year, most of the athletes are tucked up in bed by now with only five hours or so until the wake up calls begin.
↧
Pete Jacobs: Ironman World Champion
Australian Pete Jacobs took the final step up from his 2011 second place to take the 2012 Ironman World Championship title and make it six consecutive Aussie wins in the men's race, after a hard-riding Marino Vanhoenacker faded on the run after leaving T2 over eight minutes clear.
Here is how the race unfolded.
Swim
If only everything in life was as reliable as Andy Potts exiting the water first **. 50:32 was his 2012 split, with Marko Albert (EST) in 50:47 the next best. 40 seconds later and the leading group was headed up the exit ramp by Andi Böcherer (GER) and contained Pete Jacobs (AUS), Craig Alexander (AUS), David Dellow (AUS), Rasmus Henning (DEN) , Michael Raelert (GER), Greg Bennett (USA), Frederik Van Lierde (BEL), Luke Bell (AUS), Luke McKenzie (AUS) among a group of almost 20 athletes.
As always, the key is who isn't in that group. Marino Vanhoenacker (52:11), Dirk Bockel (52:30 - a fine effort with a broken hand) and Chris McCormack (52:34) were behind but in touch - but Andreas Raelert (55:17) was, by his standards, the real shock and four minutes down beginning the bike. One man who was with Andreas was 70.3 World Champion Sebastian Kienle (GER). Four minutes down represented a pretty good return for triathlon's finest bike rider. The same wasn't true for Jordan Rapp, his 59:07 was way down on expectations and just an hour in would surely make a top ten finish a seriously tough challenge on his Kona debut.
From a British perspective, Paul Amey (55:21) was side-by-side with Kienle, while Tom Lowe's 1:01:43 start was going to make it a tough day to match last year's result. Time to hit the Queen K on the bike...
(** actually...the fastest swim of the day was actually M25-29 Age Group athlete Caine Eckstein (49:23))
Bike
As always, the pace from the off is extremely fast due to the depth of quality of the field - nobody makes up time quickly in the first 25 miles.
The first breaks of any note were around 30 miles, when Mckenzie, Vanhoenacker, Romain Guillaume (FRA), Van Lierde and Pete Jacobs were around 30 seconds clear of Craig Alexander - a rare treat for the fast-running Jacobs. The über-biker Kienle was making up time, and as the pace would inevitably settle in the second quarter of the ride, would be seeking to make his way to the front of the race. Tim O'Donnell, Michael Raelert and Dirk Bockel were still within one minute of the front of the race, but this was not going to be a great day for Chris McCormack, while Andreas Raelert was still four minutes in arrears.
Vanhoenacker was riding very smartly, gradually making up his swim deficit and testing out the athletes at the front of the race... before breaking clear, and reaching the Hawi turn alone. Not for too long, Kienle made the turn in second place. Mckenzie, Guillaume, Van Lierde an Jacobs were still together, with Dirk Bockel making great progress to join them. Al-Sultan, Alexander, Matthews and Axel Zeebroek (BEL) were a further 20 seconds back, but still well in contention.
It wasn't long before it was a Euro / Scott Plasma 3 twosome at the front of the race with Vanhoenacker and Kienle in tandem - a dream scenario for Vanhoenacker. They worked well, it was looking great for both... and then the German punctured! Vanhoenacker was alone in the lead... but would surely have preferred Sebastian for company. Marino pushed on alone.
Jacobs, Van Lierde, Bockel, McKenzie, Guillaume and Al-Sultan were close together, 2:30 down on Marino at around 75 miles with Van Lierde and Bockel in particular, looking great. Importantly for Jacobs, he was two minutes in front of three-time champion Craig Alexander. After a bad day at the office, Chris McCormack was in the sag wagon and out of the race... Though still racing, the Raelert brothers appeared to be out of contention today. All was looking good for Pete Jacobs...providing he had his running legs.
90 miles in and the Vanhoenacker Express was still flying, 5:30min clear of the Jacobs, Van Lierde, Bockel, McKenzie, Guillaume and Al-Sultan group, with early pacesetter McKenzie 7:20 back. Though he was back in the race, Kienle was actually now losing time and over eight minutes behind Marino. It wasn't looking good for Craig Alexander though - eleven and half minutes down and fading fast too.
Vanhoenacker pushed on and reached T2 with a healthy 8+ minute lead, courtesy of a 4:25:49 bike split. Jacobs, Bockel, Van Lierde and Al-Sultan were the chase group, Bockel having overcome his swim deficit with a 4:34:17 split. Guillame, Kienle and McKenzie were 6th/7th/8th off the bike. Craig Alexander was a whopping 16 minutes behind starting the marathon - no fourth title for Crowie this time around.
Marino had a lead of 8:26 over Pete Jacobs starting the run...
Run
Vanhoenacker started the run looking great, particularly given such an effort on the bike. He was losing some time, to be expected, to Pete Jacobs but at five miles his lead was still 7:10. A proven front-runner from all his wins in Klagenfurt, Marino was still looking calm and concentrated - and if he was concerned about Jacobs, he wasn't showing it.
Fast forward to 10 miles and that gap was still a healthy 5:32, but it wasn't long until strong Marino was starting to look like struggling Marino. And with Pete Jacobs looking great behind (and with Sebastian Kienle and Faris Al Sultan running strong too), the writing was appearing on the proverbial wall. At 14 miles Frederik Van Lierde and a recovering Andreas Raelert were just under seven minutes down in fifth and sixth. Could Raelert make his fourth consecutive podium after all, following one of his worst swims ever? Three Germans in the top six battling for national honour.
Jacobs took the lead from a crumbling Vanhoenacker and was maintaining excellent running form and barring a meltdown, he looked set to take the final step onto the top level of the podium having finished 8th / 9th / 2nd over the past three seasons. The 'biker' Kienle was proving to be a great runner...'what if' had the puncture not happened? Andreas Raelert continued his comeback and exiting the Energy Lab section of the course he passed countryman Kienle to move into second. 2nd/3rd/2nd in three Kona appearances, Andreas knows what it takes in Kona and at 19 miles he was five minutes behind Jacobs.
But this was the day of Pete Jacobs - and the sixth consecutive Australian win - who spent much of the last mile waving and high-fiving the crowds as he knew it was 'in the bag'. A great race, perfectly executed and an extemely worthy winner.
Raelert had a tremendous battle over the final two miles with Frederik Van Lierde. Initially passd by the Belgian, Andreas fought back over the roads that he had been passed by Chris McCormack two years ago and secured second place and maintained his record of never failing to make the Kona podium.
Pos
Men
1st
Pete Jacobs (AUS) 8:18:37
2nd
Andreas Raelert (GER) 8:23:40
3rd
Frederik Van Lierde (BEL) 8:24:09
4th
Sebastian Kienle (GER) 8:27:08
5th
Faris Al-Sultan (GER) 8:28:33
6th
Timo Bracht (GER) 8:30:57
7th
Andy Potts (USA) 8:31:45
8th
Timothy O'Donnell (USA) 8:33:28
9th
David Dellow (AUS) 8:35:02
10th
Dirk Bockel (LUX) 8:36:21
↧
Leanda Cave: Ironman World Champion
No Chrissie... but Great Britain still holds the ladies Ironman World Championship title! Congratulations Leanda Cave, you are an Ironman World Champion. What a race.
Swim
Much like the men's Pro race, predicting Amanda Stevens as first out of the water is a given. 55:09 was her time, her gap to the men's time bigger than usual almost certainly due to the seprate - for the first time - female professionals start (five minutes behind the Pro men).
Very close behind with Meredith Kessler (USA), Gina Crawford (NZL), Leanda Cave (GBR), Mary Beth Ellis (USA) and Amy Marsh (USA) all within a minute. Caroline Steffen (SUI), Kelly Williamson (USA) and - perhaps reflecting her illness this week, Rachel Joyce - were a further 1:30 back. Mirinda Carfrae was almost spot on the hour mark for her 2.4 miles swim.
Bike
When I we spoke to Caroline Steffen recently she said of the women's race "there are more ladies with a similar pace, especially a lot of good girls on the bike, so when you see the guys racing with huge packs at the front of the race with the ladies it has usually been big gaps between each. I reckon that's not happening this year, and I think we could see a group of five/six possibly at the front on the bike pushing the pace." That proved correct.
For much of the first half of the race it was just like that. Steffen quickly joined the leaders, while Crawford was the one to fall back, which left Stevens, Kessler, Cave, Beth Ellis and Marsh at the head of the field. By the time they reached the Hawi turnaround it was Cave, Beth Ellis and Steffen having dropped Marsh and Kessler - but Steffen had achieved that despite having to serve a four minute penalty for, we think, a bike infringement involving one of the male Pro athletes. Would she have to pay for that effort later?
Later on there was a penalty for Leanda Cave too... and she had a four minute stand down at the side of the road too. And to complete the set, Mary Beth then got her own and would have to serve her four minutes when arriving at T2. Full set for the leading three then.
The two teamTBB athletes Steffen and Beth Ellis arrived at T2 together, but while Steffen could head to the change tents, Ellis was straight off to the penalty tent. That would give Steffen a four minute head start for the marathon. And it would be four minutes not just on Beth Ellis, as Leanda Cave was able to catch back to Beth Ellis having already served her penalty out on the course.
Mirinda Carfrae had cycled very well in the closing stages of the 112 miles such that her deficit to Steffen starting the run was a more than achieveable 7:47. And just 30 second back on Carfrae - the 45 year old six-time winner Natascha Badmann! Not a great day for Rachel Joyce - she was 19 minutes down and, barring an exceptional marathon, out of podium contention.
Run
With Steffen out front, Cave and Beth Ellis went into battle! Time after time Leanda tried to pull away, but Mary Beth was like a dog with a bone and just wouldn't let her go and it took until half way through the run to finally pull away - for good? - into second place. Mirinda Carfrae was the fastest on the course though and having started 7:47 down, the gap to Steffen was down to just over two minutes as she closed in on Beth Ellis and Cave. Carfrae passed Beth Ellis and then, we assumed, would do the same to Cave... who was having none of it!
Within minutes what had looked like an inevitable Carfrae train to the front of the race had changed - and it was looking like the threat to Steffen was actually Cave and not 2010 winner Carfrae. Could Cave keep the title in British hands? With five miles to go the gap was below 90 seconds. This was not over yet. Already a three-time World Champ at ITU / ITU Long Course / Ironman 70.3, would Cave be able to add the big one to her bulging CV? She was giving absolutely everything to try to - and for the first time we were seeing someone run away from Carfrae in Kona.
Could she catch? Yes, she could! Steffen stayed with Cave briefly as she pulled up to her shoulder, but Leanda pushed on and quickly built a clear margin over the teamTBB athlete. Superbird was getting the better of Xena. Not long to go either... could Carfrae come back?
No - Leanda just kept her metronomic running action going, looked strong and consistent - and became Ironman World Champion. Incredible! The Ironman / Ironman 70.3 double in 2012.
Pos
Men
1st
Leanda Cave (GBR) 9:15:54
2nd
Caroline Steffen (SUI) 9:16:58
3rd
Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) 9:21:41
4th
Sonja Tajsich (GER) 9:22:45
5th
Mary Beth Ellis (USA) 9:22:57
6th
Natascha Badmann (SUI)
7th
8th
9th
10th
↧
↧
Leanda Cave: Superbird can fly
Is Leanda Cave the most underrated Championship performer in British triathlon history?
In the early hours of this morning (UK time) Leanda added the Ironman World Championship title to an incredibly impressive CV - and one which represents a consistent ability over many years to secure podium finishes in the biggest races in the world. "I hope they don't invent another distance, I'm getting too old for this!" was one of her post-race comments to the Ironman team - and with good reason. As well as matching the 2011 achievement of Craig Alexander by winning the Ironman 70.3 / Ironman World Championship double in the same year (only the second athlete to achieve that), it was also her fourth different career World Championship title; having won the ITU and ITU Long Distance events in 2002 and 2007 respectively too.
In total she has secured EIGHT World Championship podium finishes over the last 11 seasons.
To those you can add medals at the Commonwealth Games, European Championships and more - and that is without even considering multiple Ironman 70.3 series wins, Escape from Alcatraz, Wildflower and a sub-nine hour Ironman finish which are just a selection from her palmarès. Incredibly impressive, Superbird!
LEANDA CAVE - MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALS
IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
GOLD - 2012 (Kona)
BRONZE - 2011 (Kona)
IRONMAN 70.3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
GOLD - 2012 (Vegas)
SILVER - 2010 (Clearwater)
BRONZE - 2007 (Clearwater)
ITU LONG DISTANCE TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
GOLD - 2007 (Lorient)
SILVER - 2011 (Vegas)
ITU TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (STANDARD)
GOLD - 2002 (Cancun)
COMMONWEALTH GAMES
SILVER - 2002 (Manchester)
ETU EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
SILVER - 2002 (Gyor)
ITU TRIATHLON WORLD CUP
GOLD - 2004 (Tongyeong, Korea)
BRONZE - 2006 (Tiszaujvaros, Hungary)
↧
Weekend roundup: October 13-14
First up, a massive result in Kailua Kona for Leanda Cave and one that's well deserved. By one of those odd quirks of scheduling I've not bumped into her that often on the circuit although with 20+ years on the clock I've always been well aware of the potential that's been, at times, shadowed by others and also subject to the usual mishaps and misfortunes. Indeed, the last time I can remember seeing her race was at Kona in 2009 when I described her as 'walking on razor blades'. This result has been a long time coming, check out John's career synopsis, but I seriously doubt that it will be the last time we realise that GB has talent in long distance racing that arguably approaches/eclipses (?) even Chrissie.
Other racing on the international scene saw the slightly worrying spectacle of Arnold Schwarzenegger waving a gun aroud at the start of the TriStar 111 in Madrid ( Victor Arroyo and Saleta Castro won that one) and the debut of TriStar racing in Rio de Janeiro where Santiago Ascenco and Vanessa Gianini topped the rostra. No headlining GB athletes in either of those as far as we can tell.
Somewhat tongue in cheek I contrasted the Hawaii Ironman with the Snowman Triathlon in the weekend preview and full credit to the field that took part in the North Wales event. The winner there was Ewan Brown (York Triathlon Club) who took 2:02:41 for the somewhat unusual 750m/31k/8k format which gives a good indication of just how tough it was. Sheona Schofield (Sheffield Triathlon Club) was the fastest woman over the course in 2:33:52. A full set of results is HERE.
A full set of results from the Hartside Duathlon which was won by Daryl Oguona and with the majority of the women seeming to be in team entries the first solo female we can find is Deborah Turner. A full set of splits is HERE.
The Herts Charity Triathlon was won by Martin Beare and Zoe Doyle, a full set of results are HERE. The event also staged a duathlon and results for that are HERE.
We missed the Broxtowe Duathlon completely - good job the StuWeb crew didn't, thanks to them for a full set of results HERE.
Only overall results from the Autumn Fast & Furious Duathlon which show that Colin Lewin took the overall win with Clare Elms taling the female trophy. Headline results are HERE.
Again, we only have headline results from the Mud & Mayhem Duathlon at Delapre Abbey where Richard Lewey and Kate Sealy topped the results list, you can see the summary sheet HERE.
The Bristol Run Rider Offroad Duathlon had to be moved to an alternate location after bad weather in the week made the original site and the results are in a format that we are having a bit of difficulty getting into our normal format but you can check them out HERE.
FULL WEEKEND RESULTS LISTINGS
↧
Kona 2012: #GBKONA ladies results
Full GB & Ireland Pro/Age Group results from Kona 2012: LADIES
In the lead up to the 2012 Ironman World Championships in Kona we highlighted the full listing of GB & Ireland entrants who had made it to the big island of Hawaii.
With the racing over - but the battle scars likely to be around for some weeks yet - it only seems appropriate to see how they got on.
First up, here are the (provisional) results for the ladies. First thing to note is, we believe, that there was a 100% completion rate for the 24 starters. Given the tough conditions and the attrition that was going on at the front of the race, that is an impressive statistic in itself.
At the front of the race, of course, pride of place goes to Leanda Cave who won the Ironman World Championship - report HERE - to add yet another mark to a truly fantastic racing CV.
There were two further podium finishes for GB ladies though. The fastest GB Age Group athlete this year was Catherine Faux, a regular name on Tri247 in recent years for winning the inaugural Outlaw Triathlon as well as ITU World and ETU European Championships. Catherine took silver in the F25-29 division and finished just 2:46 behind Danielle Kehoe (USA).
In Kona the Age Group prizes are five-deep, and that means that one of the locally made wooden bowl trophies will have also been won by Simone Daily, who took fifth in F18-24 with a time of 10:57:11.
(Find the results of the GB & IRL Kona MEN HERE)
Presented below is the full GB & IRL results listing (ladies), firstly by category and then sorted by finishing time.
Great Britain & Ireland ladies, Kona 2012, ordered by category/division
BIB
NAME
DIVISION
AGE
COUNTRY
Cat Position
Time
TWITTER
103
Leanda Cave
FPRO
34
GBR
1st
09:15:54
@leandacave
104
Rachel Joyce
FPRO
34
GBR
11th
09:40:16
@RJoyce09
2051
Simone Dailey
F18-24
24
GBR
5th
10:57:11
2094
Sharon O'Hara
F18-24
24
IRL
22nd
14:04:43
1998
Catherine Faux
F25-29
25
GBR
2nd
09:53:53
@catherinefaux
1975
Anna Murawska
F25-29
27
GBR
47th
13:08:49
@Amurawska
1967
Lauren Whitmore
F25-29
28
GBR
12th
10:36:39
1960
Katherine Brougham
F25-29
29
GBR
43rd
12:39:42
1991
Kate Lahart
F25-29
25
IRL
48th
13:14:49
1833
Laura Trimble
F30-34
30
GBR
37th
11:16:17
@LauraTrimble1
1824
Emma Cranfield
F30-34
31
GBR
35th
11:13:18
@emma_cranfield
1803
Rebecca Romero
F30-34
32
GBR
46th
11:39:08
@Rebecca_Romero
1784
Catherine Benger
F30-34
33
GBR
21st
10:55:42
1529
Jill Wilkinson
F35-39
39
GBR
58th
11:44:57
@JillWilkinson5
1531
Victoria Wilkinson
F35-39
39
GBR
13th
10:41:52
1291
Ruth Tucker
F40-44
40
GBR
65th
12:35:13
1270
Candice McDonald
F40-44
41
GBR
46th
11:39:38
@konacandy
1252
Carolyn Evans
F40-44
42
GBR
66th
12:38:48
933
Melissa Dowell
F45-49
47
GBR
7th
10:56:20
@melissajdowell
925
Sally Horton
F45-49
47
GBR
63rd
15:28:31
915
Gill Fullen
F45-49
48
GBR
27th
11:47:42
630
Christina Smith
F50-54
52
GBR
47th
14:10:44
621
Claire Donald
F50-54
53
GBR
19th
12:12:36
458
Sarah Greaves
F55-59
56
GBR
18th
13:38:51
Great Britain & Ireland ladies, Kona 2012, ordered by finish time
BIB
NAME
DIVISION
AGE
COUNTRY
Cat Position
Time
TWITTER
103
Leanda Cave
FPRO
34
GBR
1st
09:15:54
@leandacave
104
Rachel Joyce
FPRO
34
GBR
11th
09:40:16
@RJoyce09
1998
Catherine Faux
F25-29
25
GBR
2nd
09:53:53
@catherinefaux
1967
Lauren Whitmore
F25-29
28
GBR
12th
10:36:39
1531
Victoria Wilkinson
F35-39
39
GBR
13th
10:41:52
1784
Catherine Benger
F30-34
33
GBR
21st
10:55:42
933
Melissa Dowell
F45-49
47
GBR
7th
10:56:20
@melissajdowell
2051
Simone Dailey
F18-24
24
GBR
5th
10:57:11
1824
Emma Cranfield
F30-34
31
GBR
35th
11:13:18
@emma_cranfield
1833
Laura Trimble
F30-34
30
GBR
37th
11:16:17
@LauraTrimble1
1803
Rebecca Romero
F30-34
32
GBR
46th
11:39:08
@Rebecca_Romero
1270
Candice McDonald
F40-44
41
GBR
46th
11:39:38
@konacandy
1529
Jill Wilkinson
F35-39
39
GBR
58th
11:44:57
@JillWilkinson5
915
Gill Fullen
F45-49
48
GBR
27th
11:47:42
621
Claire Donald
F50-54
53
GBR
19th
12:12:36
1291
Ruth Tucker
F40-44
40
GBR
65th
12:35:13
1252
Carolyn Evans
F40-44
42
GBR
66th
12:38:48
1960
Katherine Brougham
F25-29
29
GBR
43rd
12:39:42
1975
Anna Murawska
F25-29
27
GBR
47th
13:08:49
@Amurawska
1991
Kate Lahart
F25-29
25
IRL
48th
13:14:49
458
Sarah Greaves
F55-59
56
GBR
18th
13:38:51
2094
Sharon O'Hara
F18-24
24
IRL
22nd
14:04:43
630
Christina Smith
F50-54
52
GBR
47th
14:10:44
925
Sally Horton
F45-49
47
GBR
63rd
15:28:31
↧
